HOSPITAL & CNARITABLE AID BOARD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 8 April 1909, Page 1

HOSPITAL & CNARITABLE AID BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The usual monthly meeting of the Nelsoil Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held last evening. Present — Messrs H. Baigent (Chairman), Everett, Field, Grace, Bisley, Hoult, Macmahon, Gil], Minutes of the previor, meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman said that at the last meeting of the Board surprise had been expressed at the large amount paid f-.r architect's fees and supervisior* work in connection with the building of the Old Peop.e's Home It had ! btcu decided to ask .Mr Griffin to at- j tend this meeting and offer an explanation. The main isue at point for the nr- ' ohitc-ct to explain was the payment of j £91 *1s to the clerk of works. Mr Griffin, who was present as requested, said it was on account of the laige quantity of excavation work done that the clerk of works had been kept on for so long a period. If the clerk of works had been put off for- a time it. n.iglit have been difficult to obtain another. The Board had passed a resolu- j tion that the clerk of works should be employed while the concrete work was being done. In answer to Mr Grace, Mr Griffin said there was no record kept of the number of days the clerk of works was engaged. Mr Everett said that the clerk of works had been paid for 152 days. In answer to Mr Everett, Mr Griffin acknowledged that ths amount was large; but he explained that the circumstances were unavoidable. Jt had heen nccessar}- to put in the concrete in | four separate batches. The payments had been passed by the Board, and he considered that he 'was not acting alone in the matter. He had brought the question before the secretary several times. .Mr Honlt expressed his dissatisfaction with the explanation. Mr Field said tne matter of keeping on the clerk of works had been discussed befoie a former meeting of the Board. Mr Bi**!ev wa-! of opiniou that the responsibility ratted on the Board. The a'-coinit had been passed fur payment and that was the time when information should have been sought. M>- Everett said that the Board had authorised Mr Griffin t(> appoint a jlerk of works to supeivise concrete work only, and he was of opinion thai anything beyond that the Board coui*' not be he'd responsible. Subsequently Mr Everett moved that the matter be deferred till next meeting. — Carried. .Accounts were passed for payment as follows:— Hospital Account, £231 13? 8d; Charitable Aid Account, J .;1203 18s 8,1 (in. hiding final progress payment oF £1015 tc contractor for' the 01,1 People'*; Home). Mr Gr'i'nn, architect to the 'loard, wrote stating llir.t the* Old People's Home was n"\v ioniplel'l and c-"uld betaken over by the Board. The total ctst cf the building had been £.46C0. Correspondence was read enl Jis cussed. The master of the (dd People's II une forward, :d his monthly rcp-.-rt lo the Roa,rd. Two inmates were lerfirted ior drunkenness, ani two had been taker, in during the month, making u tot:,] of 35 now in the Home. The Chief Health Offi. er (Dr Mason) wrote stating that lie wou'.d be ,n Xelson on sth May. The Resident Sc-rgeon (Dr Mackay) forwarded his monthly report. He re- j -oinnicn-le-l the establishment of .cook-, ery classes for nurses for invalid cooking; that Misses K. O'Brien and YVix he appointed probationers; and that the healing of the men's ward receive consideration. These recommendations of the Surgeon were adopti-1. In connection with a l-cqut.'it that certain furniture bo replaced, the matter was left to the Town Committee. In reference to the iccovery of arrears of o.'d .ice pension due to the estate of a dr.* eased former inmate of the Ho.-pital. it wns resolved, after discission, to obtain a legal opinion from Mr •.'■iilly as to the possibility of such claim being upheld. The report of the Town Committee in reference to the acjeptance of tend-] ers for tho Old People's Home was adopted. The relieving officer's report was read, disciis-rd, and adopted. The relieving officer wrote applying for an increase of salary. — Mr Everett proposed that an increase of £16 a \ ear lie granted. — Carried. It was resolved that the new Old People's Home he- insured for £4000,. the risk to be divided among three in- 1 .'.urance companies. It was decided to call for tenders fori ■,upp'.y «,f -ravel for the Old People's Home"; tenders to be in within a fortnight, and Town Committee to be .empowered to deai with such. Several other minor -natters in connection with the new Home were also dealt with. Ihe hospital return presented to the Board showed thnt 22 patients were admitted during the month of March and 18 had left. Of the latter five vere relieved, 10 wero cured, and three had died. The Bor-rd rose at 10.30 p.m.